1. Field of the Invention
This invention is concerned with a removable roof flashing cover system which is useful with replacement siding as is commonly used on older structures. When the removable roof flashing cover system of this invention is used, upon application of the siding, it is possible at a later date to alter the depth of the flashing panel in order to compensate for gaps which may have resulted because the adjacent roofing has been replaced and to further permit proper flashing of the new roof. This invention is particularly useful when structures covered with vinyl and aluminum siding are reroofed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problem of how to seal and make waterproof or water resistant vertical and horizontal building surfaces is as old as the building trades. In its most rudimentary fashions, this problem was solved by the blending and sealing of the vertical and horizontal surfaces with sheet metal such as sheet copper, aluminum or lead. The sealing of the sheet metal component to the respective surfaces was effected with a mastic such as tar. This method of sealing building surfaces is still commonly used.
In the past few decades, a new form of building renewal has come into wide spread use namely the trade of applying interlocking siding to the vertical surfaces of buildings in order to give these surfaces a new appearance. In this regard, the application of interlocking panels of vinyl and aluminum siding to older structures has become quite common. Since this siding is often applied to older structures, a problem has arisen as to how to flash the vertical siding to the horizontal roofing surfaces. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the roofing on the structure is likewise often replaced at intervals of fifteen to twenty-five years. With a life expectancy of a structure of one hundred years, multiple applications of roofing are possible.
As multiple layers of roofing are applied, the thickness and the weight of the roofing increases. Because of the weight increase, building codes often only permit three reroofings to occur before all the roofing must be removed prior to the application of new roofing. The old roofing must be removed because of its weight in order to prevent structural failure of the building. That is, building codes often permit, for example, a homeowner to have his house reroofed three times before he must remove all roofing material. A layer of roofing is between 3/8 and 3/4 inches, therefore, three layers as may be applied over a period of years, can represent a thickness of between 11/8 and 21/4 inches to the thickness of the added roofing must be added to the thickness of the original roofing which can be up to 1 inch.
When replacement siding is applied, it is often applied to structures which have been reroofed multiple times, hence, the siding must abut up to a layer of roofing which may be 3/8 to 31/4 inches above the base of the roof. If it is necessary to reroof the structure after siding has been applied, the building code may require that all the roofing be removed thereby creating a substantial gap between the new roofing and the siding. In prior art siding techniques, there was no way this unsightly gap could be covered up using a component part which is integral with the siding. In the prior art, this problem was most often resolved by the roofer via the liberal application of tar to the resulting gap. From an aesthetic point of view, this application of tar created an unsightly mess. Further, in the prior art there is no way that the first course of siding could be easily removed to permit a new roof to be reflashed.
In accordance with this invention, when a new roof is applied to a structure which has been previously sided with vinyl or aluminum siding, the roofer can remove the flashing cover and replace it with a flashing cover of a different depth so as to fill in any gaps which are created as a result of the removal of multiple layers of old roofing. Further, the new roof can be easily reflashed.
The prior art has addressed many forms of roof flashing as is illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,685,525; 1,694,514; 2,274,647; 2995,870; 3,172,236; 3,410,038 and 4,462,190. While a diverse number of roof flashing problems are addressed in these prior art patents, the disclosures of these patents fail to address the problems as discussed above relative to replacement roofs and structures which are sided with vinyl or aluminum siding.
Further, none of this prior art suggests the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured for the efficient solution of this problem as disclosed and claimed herein. Prior devices do not provide the benefits of the present invention which achieves its intended purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art devices through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, through no increase in the number of functioning parts, at a minimum cost and through the utilization of only readily available materials and conventional components.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a removable roof flashing cover system wherein the flashing cover can be of more than one height.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a roof flashing cover system wherein any gap which is created by the removal and replacement of roofing can be compensated for.
Another objective is to provide a siding system wherein the flashing cover of siding can be easily removed thereby permitting the reflashing of the roof during a reroofing operation.
It is yet another objective of this invention to provide a roof flashing cover system which is particularity suitable for use with vinyl and aluminum siding.
Lastly, it is an object of this invention to provide a removable roof flashing cover system wherein face panels of different heights can be readily removed and replaced on previously applied siding.
These objects and advantages should be construed as merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of this invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and advantages as well as a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary and detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention in addition to the scope of the invention as defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.